Is it possible to view and review 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde outside of its historical significance? Probably not, and I doubt that many discussions of it that have occurred over the last 40 years have made significant mention of its then-graphic use of violence.

Yes, the film features a very bloody finale. (Normally I avoid anything that could possibly be a “spoiler”, but this aspect of the film is so well-known it enters “Darth Vader is Luke’s father” territory.) Is it very provocative in today’s climate? Nope. I can’t say that it’s tame by modern standards, but it clearly doesn’t present the shockingly graphic punch that audiences in 1967 experienced.

When I’ve looked at other opinions of the film, many of them seem to revolve around its historical impact. In fact, it becomes hard to see whether most people like the movie because it’s a solidly-crafted and entertaining piece of work - which it undoubtedly is - or due to the impression it made upon viewers at the time. Ultimately, I think Bonnie is a very interesting movie, but I’m not sure it lives up to its legendary status.

The film provides a broad and rambunctious adaptation of the real-life story of bank robbers Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty). According to the movie, these two met by happenstance and led a rollicking gang through infamous illegal adventures while they maintained a nearly unconsummated love affair. Along the way they became icons for those hammered by the Depression due to their enthusiastically anti-authoritarian style.

Although I know little about the reality of the events, it seems clear that the movie takes quite a few liberties and glamorizes much of the action. Barrow and Parker definitely weren’t as attractive as Beatty and Dunaway, and it’s also unlikely they were as stylish and compelling. From what I’ve read, the gang was much less well-organized and more of a mess.

None of that matters, for Bonnie never purports to tell a completely factual story. It provides a stylized version of events, and from that point of view, it succeeds nicely. The leads are more than adequate for their roles. Dunaway offers a nice combination of swaggering sexuality and confused vulnerability that makes Bonnie larger than life but still believable and real. On the surface, Beatty seems cast in type as a suave pretty-boy, but greater depth quickly emerges, especially as it becomes clear that Bonnie calls all the shots. The irony of super-stud Beatty portraying an impotent man may not have been as apparent 41 years ago, but it’s pretty funny now.

Add to this pair a very solid supporting cast and the film fires successfully in regard to the actors. Director Arthur Penn crafts a properly paced and compelling story that moves logically and briskly and Bonnie and Clyde presents a well-made movie. Frankly, I can’t say that it bowled me over, but I definitely like the movie and think that it achieves what it set out to do.

Bonnie and Clyde appears in both an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 and in a fullscreen version on this double-sided, single-layered DVD; the widescreen image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Only the letterboxed picture was reviewed for this article. Digital artifacting, thy name is Bonnie and Clyde!

Poor compression created many of the presentation’s concerns. The film usually looked like it’d been shot through a screen door, as it took on a messy, blocky look much of the time. This affected almost everything. Close-up, two-shot, wide view – it didn’t matter, as the movie suffered from an ugly gauzy texture.

And it came with plenty of source flaws as well. I didn’t get the impression anyone put a lot of clean-up work into Bonnie, as it suffered from a mix of specks, scratches, marks, debris and lines. These weren’t constant companions, but they created more than a few distractions.

Sharpness was inconsistent. Close shots demonstrated decent clarity and delineation, but wider elements tended to be less distinct. Some prominent edge enhancement caused a lot of this, as haloes became awfully noticeable. I noticed no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, though.

Colors occasionally looked a little oversaturated, but they usually came across as fairly clear and acceptably full. The film tended toward a dry, natural palette, and the DVD reproduced this in a passable manner. Black levels looked moderately deep and rich, while shadow detail appeared appropriately opaque but not excessively heavy. Though not a total disaster, the visuals of Bonnie were unsatisfying.

More acceptable was the film’s monaural soundtrack. The audio seemed consistently decent but unexceptional. Dialogue was a bit thin and flat but sounded easily intelligible and articulate. Music was fairly bright and clear and also boasted some modest low end at times. Effects generally came across and accurate and crisp, but louder scenes occasionally featured distortion; various gunshots tended to appear harsh and crackly. Despite those flaws, I found the soundtrack of Bonnie to provide a presentation typical of the era.

The DVD includes a few minor extras. We get the original theatrical trailer, an ad that definitely plays in the spirit of the time; it avoids any seriously dated use of the period’s lingo, but it still is clearly a product of the late Sixties. We also find two screens of decent production notes and short biographies of five actors plus director Arthur Penn. It ain’t much but… well, it just ain’t much.

Although I’m not sure I think it’s the classic many make it out to be, Bonnie and Clyde unquestionably is a fine film that has exerted a strong influence over future movie making. It boasts some excellent acting and is a generally solid piece of work. The DVD provides adequate sound, negligible extras and badly flawed picture quality. Bonnie stands as a memorable flick but this is a bad release.

To rate this film visit the Special Edition review of BONNIE AND CLYDE